Response to the Budget

12 March 2008

Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians and Chair of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, welcomed today’s tax increases:

“We welcome the Chancellor’s decision to increase tax on alcohol. The international evidence suggests that even moderate taxation rises will reduce alcohol-related deaths and this move, although modest, shows that the Government finally recognises the importance of taxation in reducing alcohol-related harm in the UK.

“Alcohol is now 65% more affordable than it was in 1980, and we need to reverse this trend. This welcome direction of travel needs to be joined by other public policy measures to reduce availability, limits on advertising and promotion, and the introduction of better measures of screening and treatment for those drinking at levels likely to harm their health.

The impact of an increase in duty on alcohol will be affective only if combined with strong Government action to prevent irresponsible discounting and promotions by the retail industry. We call on the Government to tackle this.”

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